This study elucidates the patterning of pentacene by adjusting its surface energy. The surface energy was modified by self-assembled monolayer treatment and exposure to ultra-violet (UV) light through a quartz-glass mask. Then, following pentacene deposition, dipping in water was used to remove pentacene from the UV-exposed area. The adhesion energy and the intrusion energy were analyzed to determine the mechanism of this patterning process. The variation of the intrusion energy with the surface energy was found to be the main issue in pentacene patterning. The characteristics of pentacene-organic thin film transistors were also measured to confirm the proposed method. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.